Magnetically operated device



Nov. 11, 1952 LELAND 2,617,949

MAGNETICALLY OPERATED DEVICE Original Filed June 26, 1944 INVENTOR. 660265 H. A EAA'A/O HAY flTTOE/VEY Patented Nov. 11, 1952 MAGNETICALLY OPERATED DEVICE George H. Leland, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to G. H. Leland, Inc., Dayton, Ohio, a corporation of Ohio Original application June 26, 1944, Serial No.

542,188. Divided and this application January 11, 1950, SerialNo. 137,946

5 Claims.

matically impart continuous rotary movement to a part thereof.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a, device in which the axial movement of the armature for the magnet will impart rotary movement to a part of said device and the rotary movement of said part will control the energization of the magnet to cause successive rotative impulses to be imparted. to said rotary part.

A further object of the invention is to provide such a device in which the energization of the magnet will be maintained during a substantial movement of said rotary .part.

Other objects of the invention may appear as the device is described in detail.

In the accompanying drawings,- Fig. l is a plan view, partly broken away, of a device embodying the invention; Fig. 2 is a side elevation of such a device; Fig. 3 is a section taken on the line 3.--3 of Fig. l; and Fig. 4 is a section taken on the line 4-4 of Fig. 1.

In these drawings I have illustrated one embodiment of the invention and have shown the magnet as a rotary solenoid of the general type shown and described in the above mentioned application, but it is to be understood that this embodiment has been chosen for the purpose of illustration only and that the device as a whole, as well as the several parts thereof, may take various forms without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the illustrated embodiment the magnet comprises a cup-shaped structure 88 having a back wall 88a in which a shaft 8| is mounted for both axial movement and rotary movement. An armature 82 extends through an opening in the front wall of the structure 80 and the shaft 8| extends through the armature and is preferably rigidly connected therewith. An annular magnetizing coil 83 is mounted in the cup-shaped structure about the inwardly projecting portions of the armature and the back Wall, so that upon the energization of the coil the armature will be moved axially toward said rear wall and a corresponding movement will be imparted to the shaft 8]. A member 85, here shown as a fiat plate, is

2 supported adjacent to and preferably parallel with the front wall of the structure 88 for both axial movement and rotary movement, and is connected with the armature for axial movement thereby. In the present instance the plate 85 is rigidly secured to the shaft 8|.

Means are provided whereby the axial movement of the plate 85 will impart rotary movement thereto. In this preferred construction the plate is provided in its inner surface with a single annular recess or ball race 86 and the wall of the structure is provided with a continuous ball race 87 opposed to the race 86 and having an undulating bottom wall 88, which in the present instance is provided with five high points 89, the peaks of which are spaced equal distances one from the other. Each section of the bottom wall slopes from the peak of one high point to the point of greatest depth of the race 81 and then slopes upwardly to the peak of the succeeding high point. Arranged between the plate and the structure 88 is a spacing device 86 having openings to receive a plurality of balls 84 which move in the races 86 and 81, the centers of the openings being spaced apart the same distances as the peaks of the high points of the race 81. The device as a, whole is preferably, but not necessarily, supported in an upright position with the plate 85 above the armature 82 so that the plate rests upon the balls. When the balls are in the positions shown in Fig. 4, in which positions they are in engagement with the high portions of the race 81 just beyond the peaks, the energization of the magnet will impart axial movement to the armature and plate 85 and thus cause the balls to move down the inclined surfaces of the race, thereby imparting to the plate a rotative impulse which causes the plate, the spacer 90 and the armature 82 to rotate, and during the energization of the magnet these parts will acquire a momentum suflicient to carry each ball up the succeeding inclined surface and over the peak of the next high point. Thus by again energizing the magnet just after the balls pass their respective high points another impulse is imparted to the armature, plate and balls which will carry the same through another step in the rotation thereof. By intermittently energizing the magnet as the balls pass over the respective high points of the race the armature and plate may be maintained in continuous rotation.

In order to automatically close and open the magnet circuit at the proper intervals I. have provided a switch for connection in the magnet circuit and for operation by the plate 85. This switch may be of any suitable character and as here shown comprises two resilient members 92 and 93 which are rigidly connected one with the other at one end of the switch and are mounted at that point on a fixed support, not shown. Adjacent their other ends the bars 92 and 93 are provided respectively with contact points 94 and 95, the resiliency of the member 93 tending to move the contact point 95 to an imperative position. The resilient member or bar 93 is arranged to be engaged successively by actuating parts 96 carried by the plate 85 in fixed relation to the balls 84. In the form shown, the plate is polygonal in shape and has five angles, or corners, which are slightly" rounded and each of which constitutes a switch actuating point. A stop 91 limits the movement of the contact bar 92 toward the plate 85 and when none of the corners or actuating points of the plate 85 are in contact with the bar 93 the contacts will be separated and the magnet will be deenergized. The contact points and balls are so arranged with relation to the undulations of the race 8! that the actuating points of the plate will engage the resilient bar 93 as the balls move up the inclinations and thus move the contact 95 into engagement with the contact 94 just as the balls move over the peaks of the respective high points of the race. The engagement is effected an instant before the balls pass the high points but they will be on the downwardly sloping surfaces by the time the energization of the magnet imparts movement to the plate. Due to the fact that the contact 95 engages the contact 94 before the movement of the bar 93 by the plate 85 has been completed the resilient bar 92 will yield and both contacts 94 and 95 will be moved against the resilience thereof. Thus after the magnet has been energized the circuit will be maintained closed until the actuating point 96 of the plate has moved far enough to permit the bar 92 to engage the stop 91 and the bar 93 to move with relation to the bar 92 and separate the contacts. In this manner the energization of the magnet is maintained for an interval long enough to impart the desired movement to the plate. The movement of the plate may be initiated by hand or in any other suitable manner. In the absence of other controlling means the plate 85 can be manually rotated to position the balls just beyond the high points and close the circuit through the magnet. Thereafter the rotation of the plate will make and break the circuit. Thus the initial energization of the magnet imparts to the plate 85 a rotary impulse of suffi-cient force and duration to rotate the plate through an are at least equal to the distances between the high points of the undulating surface 88, the energize.-

tion of the magnet being maintained during a substantial portion of the movement of the plate. The rotation of the plate causes the magnet to be again energized to impart another impulse to the plate before the force of the preceding impulse is exhausted, that is,- while the plate continues to rotate, and these successive impulses maintain the plate in continuous rotation. A device of this kind can be used to actuate light loads of various kinds, such for example as display devices or amusement devices. The device to be operated may be connected with the shaft or rotatable plate in any suitable manner and in some cases the device to be operated might merely be placed upon and supported by a plate 85.

While I have shown and described one embodiment of my invention I wish it to be understood that I do not desire to be limited to the details 4 thereof as various modifications may occur to a person skilled in the art.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

l. A device comprising a structure including an electro-magnet, a shaft mounted in said structure for both axial movement and rotary movement, an armature for said magnet rigidly secured to said shaft, a plate rigidly secured to said armature substantially parallel with a wall rigid with said structure, said wall having an annular ball race provided with an undulating bottom surface, balls mounted in said race and engaging said plate, means for maintaining said balls in predetermined spaced relation, one to the other, a switch to control the energization of said magnet, and switch actuating parts movable with said plate and spaced one from the other in accordance with the spacing of said balls to close said switch as each ball passes over a high point of said undulating surface.

2. A device comprising a structure including an electro-magnet, a shaft mounted in said structure for both axial movement and rotary movement, an armature for said magnet rigidly secured to said shaft, a plate rigidly secured to said armature substantially parallel with a wall rigid with said structure, said wall having an annular ball race provided with an undulating bottom surface, balls mounted in said race and engaging said plate, means for maintaining said balls in predetermined spaced relation one to the other, a switch to control the energization of said magnet, switch actuating parts movable with said plate and spaced one from the other in accordance with the spacing of said balls to close said switch as each ball passes over a high point of said undulating surface said switch having two movable contact members, and means for so controlling the movements thereof that said contact members will be retained in engagement one with the other for a substantial interval after being actuated by one of said actuating'parts.

3. A device comprising a structure including an electro-magnet, a shaft mounted in said structure for both axial movement and rotary movement, an armature for said magnet rigidly secured to said shaft, a plate rigidly secured to said armature substantially parallel with a wall rigid with said structure, said wall having an annular ball race provided with an undulating bottom surface, balls mounted in said race and engaging said plate, means for maintaining said balls in predetermined spaced relation one to the other, a switch to control the energization of said magnet including two resilient members having cooperating contact points spaced nor.- mally one from the other, and parts carried by said plate in fixed relation to the respective balls to successively flex one of said resilient members to close said switch as the balls pass over the high points of said undulating surface and to release said resilient member for switch opening movement as said balls move onto the low points of said undulating surface.

4. A device comprising a magnet, an axiall movable armature for said magnet, a member supported about the axis of said magnet and held against movement with relationthereto, a second member connected with said armature for movement therewith, said members having pposed surfaces and at least one of said surfaces having an undulating annular portion, rotatabl elements mounted between said undulated surface and the other of said surfaces, said rotatable elements being movable over said undulated surface to impart successive rotary movements to said second member in the same direction, and means controlled by the rotary movement of said second member to energize and deenergize said magnet.

5. A device comprising a structure including an electromagnet, an axially movable armature for said magnet, a member connected with said armature for movement therewith and arranged substantially parallel with a Wall of said structure, said member and said wall having opposed annular ball races, one of said races having an undulating bottom surface, balls in said races movable by the axial movement of said armature by said magnet from the peaks of the respective undulations to the bottom of the race having said undulations to impart a rotary impulse to 6 said member and movable by the momentum so imparted to said member and said armature to the peaks of the succeeding undulations, and means controlled by the rotary movement of said member for energizing said magnet as said balls pass over the peaks of said undulating surfaces.

GEORGE H. LELAND.

REFERENCES ol'rEi) The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 475,410 McKay May 24, 1892 503,213 McKay Aug. 15, 1893 520,810 Thomson June 5, 1894 1,324,204 Morris Dec. 9, 1919 

